Auxiliary alarm system.



C. G. FURMAN.

AUXILIARY ALARM\SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MIG. 7. I914.

Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

INVENTOH 9 4m BY WITNESSES ,4 TTORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLIFFORD G. FURMAN, OF BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK, ASSIG-NOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO THE GAMEWELL FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUXILIARY ALARM SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 11, 1916.

Application filed August 7, 1914. Serial No. 855,611.

" Alarm Systems, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to alarm systems and particularly to fire alarm systems having signal boxes connected in a general circuit and each adapted to transmit a signal identifying that particular signal box, and having one or more groups of so called auxiliary stations, a diflerent one of said signal boxes being connected to each group of auxiliary stations, whereby the operation of any one of the auxiliary stations will cause its connected signal box to be adjusted for the transmission of its signal.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an annunciator'adapted to be shitably mounted with relation to any desired signal box of such an auxiliary system, and provided with a pluralityof indicating devices representing the various auxiliary stations connected with that signal box, and to provide such connections between said annunciator and such stations that when any station is operated. the current flow through such station will pass through and cause the operation of the annunciator indicating device representing such station, all so arranged that the current which passes through any indicating device will also pass through and be employed for causing a magnet associated with a signal box to set said box in motion.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved auxiliary alarm system adapted for use in connection with any signal box having a resistance provided in series with the starting magnet of such box for preventing an unintended flow of current through said magnet because of the resistance of the auxiliary stations and the shunt circuit in which such stations are connected, so constructed that the operation of any auxiliary station to interrupt the shunt circuit and thereby force current to flow through the box starting magnet will also shunt the resistance, and thereby assure a larger current flow through such starting magnet at the time it is called upon to act in combination or separately with other types of signaling boxes.

In auxiliary systems of this character it is customary to mount the signal box where it will be unaffected by a fire in premises protected, as on the outside of a building or at a suitable point on an adjoining highway near the premises, and to connect such a signal box by means of a suitable circuit with a plurality of auxiliary stations so that by the operation of any one of said stations the signal box may be caused to transmit its signal. In employing such a system itis obviously important that the construction of the system shall be such that in the event of the interruption of the circuit connecting the auxiliary stations,

such as might result from fire, explosion I or other accident, tha main signaling circuit controlled by the signal box shall not be interrupted or rendered inoperative on account of such interruption of the circuit connecting the auxiliary stations.

In the preferred form of my invention, I use a signal box having a resistance and a starting magnet'in the main signal circuit together with a suitable signaling train adapted to be set in motion upon the effective energization of said magnet together with a shunt circuit around said signal box,

serially including a plurality of auxiliary ance of the current path including the starting magnet that, when the auxiliary shunt circuit is closed around said magnet, the

proportion of the total line current passing through said magnet will be so small as to preclude the effective energization of said magnet, even though the main signaling circuit is subjected to substantial current flucsaid resistance will then decrease the current flow in the main signaling circuit unless it is shunted out.

In suitable relation to the signal box I provide an annunciator having as many electro-magnetic indicating devices as there are auxiliary stations and I connect the common return wire from said indicating devices to a point in the main signaling circuit between the resistance and the starting magnet of the signal box.

From the free terminal of each indicating device I extend a conductor to a contact at one of the auxiliary stations, such contacts being so arranged that, when the switch at any station is operated to break the auxil iary shunt circuit, said switch will connect the one of the broken ends of such auxiliary shunt circuit which is connected with one terminal of the box resistance to the conductor communicating with the indicating device associated with such auxiliary station and thereby shunt said resistance with said indicating device.

The resistance of each indicating device is very low in comparison with that of the box resistance and therefore this shunt reduces the resistance of the main signal circuit far below what it would be if said box resistance was not so shunted.

In cases where it is not desired to use an annunciator I provide a similar shunt for the box resistance by connecting a corresponding point in the main signaling circuit between the resistance and the starting magnet of the signal box to a contact at each auxiliary station.

My invention may be utilized in connection with various auxiliary alarm systems, but for the purpose of more clearly illustrating same I have shown in the accompanying drawing a signal system to which it is applied.

Like characters of reference refer to like L parts throughout.

A is a signal box having main line termi nals 1 and 2 with which the conductors 3 and 4 of a main signaling circuit are connected.

. suitable rate with relation to the signal wheel 7.

The armature structure 9 is so pivoted with relation to the path of movement of the in 8 that said structure is adapted to move into the path of said pin and thereby prevent the running of the gearing and the consequent operation of the signaling contacts 5 and 6. The starting magnet 10 is mounted in such relation to the armature structure 9 that the attraction of said magnet may move said structure out of the path of the pin 8.

A suitable resistance 11 is provided, one terminal of said resistance being connected to the binding post 1 and the other terminal of said resistance being connected to the binding post 12.

One terminal of the magnet 10 is connected to the binding post 12 and the other terminal of said magnet is connected to the binding post 13, and the signaling contact 6 is connected to the binding post 13, and the signaling'contact 5 is connected to the binding post 2.

Binding post 14 is shown connected to and may form part of binding post 1, and

in any event must be directly connected to -mon terminal 15, a switch arm 16 pivotally mounted thereon and two selective terminals numbered 17 and 18.

A suitable annunciator H is mounted in desired relation to the signal box A and is equipped with three electromagnetic illdb eating devices, which may be of any well known type and which are diagrammatically represented by helices 19, 20 and 21 and the movable indicating arrows 19, 20 and 21 associated therewith.

One terminal of each helix is connected with the common return binding post 22. The remaining terminals of said helices are connected to the binding posts 23, 24 and 25 respectively. Wire 26 is connected between binding post 14 of the signal box and common terminal 15 of auxiliary station E. Wire 27 connects selective terminal 17 of auxiliary station E with common terminal 15 of auxiliary station F. Wire 27 correspondingly connects selective terminal 17 of auxiliary station F with common terminal15 of auxiliary station G. Wire 28 connects selective terminal 17 of auxiliary stationGwith binding post 13 of the signal box.

It is evident that if a larger number of auxiliary stations are required, additional wires like wires 27 and 27 will be provided and 'such additional stations will be connected in the circuit like station F.

Selective terminal 18 of auxiliary station E is connected by means of wire 29 with binding post 25 of the annunciator and the corresponding selective terminal of auxiliary stations F and G are similarly connected through wires 29 and 29 to binding posts 24 and 23 respectively.

Binding post 22 of the annunciator is connected through wire 30 to binding post 12 of the signal box.

If it is not desired to provide an annunciator for indicating which auxiliary station has been operated, the annunciator H may be omitted and the wire 30 connected directly to the selective terminals 18 of the various auxiliary stations or with the wires 29, 29 and 29" as desired.

In normal condition the various parts are as shown in the drawing, and the path of current is from source 0 through bell D and wire 3 to binding post 1 of the signal box A, from which binding post two current paths are provided to binding post 13: a. From binding post 1 through resistance 11 to binding post 12; thence through magnet 10 to binding post 13. Z). From binding post 1, to binding post 14; thence through wire 26 to common terminal 15 of auxiliary station E; thence through switch arm 16 and selective contact 17 of auxiliary station E and wire 27 to common terminal 15 of auX- iliary station F, from which current will pass in like manner through said auxiliary station F and through auxiliary station G to selective terminal 17 of said station G, and thence through wire 28 to binding post 13 of signal box A, where the path through this shunt loop-circuit will join the path through the resistance and the starting magnet. From binding post 13 through signaling contacts 6 and 5 to binding post 2; thence through wire 4 and through signal stations BB to opposite terminal of source C.

The resistance 11 is such that, acting with the resistance of the starting magnet 10, substantially all of the current from source C is caused to flow through said shunt loopcircuit and the slight current passing through said magnet 10 is insufficient to cause it to withdraw the armature structure 9 from the path of the pin 8. On the other hand the resistance 11 should not be so great that the current path from the binding post 1 to the binding post 12 could be interrupted by any breakage of the conductors of the auxiliary shunt circuit, as for instance, the wires 26, 29, 29, 29" or 30.

In other words, the purpose of the resistance 11 is to aid in preventing an effective energizing current from passing through the magnet 10 when the auxiliary shunt circuit is closed, while not offering so great a resistance to the current flow in the main signaling circuit that, if the current paths through wires 26, 28 and 30 were entirely interrupted, the current flow through said circuit would be insuflicient-to eflectively energize said magnet 10, or to permit the effective transmission of a signal from the contacts 5, 6to the translating device D.

The operation of this system is as follows: If the switch at one of the auxiliary stations, as for example station F, is moved from its selective terminal 17 to its selective terminal 18, the flow of current through wires 27 and 28 of the shunt loop-circuit will be interrupted and all of the current from source C will pass through magnet 10, but there will be two conducting paths between binding post 1 and binding post 12 of signal box A as follows: Through resistance 11. 3). Through binding post 14, wire 26, auxiliary station E to common terminal 153 of auxiliary station F; thence through switch arm 16 and selective terminal 18 of said station through wire 29", binding post 24-, helix 20, binding post 22, and wire 36 to binding post 12 where this path joins the current path through the resistance 11 Owing to the resistance of the current path through wires 26, 27, 29", 30 and helix 20, being very much less than that of resistance 11, nearly all of the current will pass through said helix 20, and indicator 20 will act and thereby show that the auxiliary station F has been operated and at the same time, owing to the shunt around magnet 10 being broken at selective terminal 17 of auxiliary station F, said magnet 10 will be so energized as to withdraw the armature structure 9 from the path of the pin 8 and the signaling train will be re leased and will operate to transmit its intended signal.

If the annunciator H were not employed and wires 29, 29" and 29" are connected directly with wire 30, the operation of the various parts other than the annunciator H would be the same as already described.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A signal box having a signaling train, a detent for said train, a starting magnet for disengaging said detent, and a resistance in series with said magnet, in combination with a loop-circuit, a plurality of electromagnetic indicating devices, and a corresponding plurality of switches each arranged to normally close said loop-circuit in shunt to said magnet and said resistance and adapted to be moved to open said loopcircuit shunt and to connect the corresponding indicating device in shuntto said resistance without shunting said magnet.

2. A signal box having a signaling train, a detent for said train, an electromagnet for disengaging said detent from said train, and a resistance in series with said magnet, in combination with a loop-circuit, and a plurality of switches each arranged to normally close said loop-circuit in shunt to said magnet and said resistance and adapted to be moved to open said loop-circuit shunt and to shunt said resistance without shunting said magnet.

3. A signal box having a signaling train, a detent for said train, an electromagnet for through the common return conductor.

4. A signal box having a starting magnet and a resistance, a connection between one terminal of said magnet and one terminal of said resistance, a signal circuit connected to the remaining terminal of said magnet and to the remaining terminal of said resistance, a series of switches each having two selective terminals and one common terminal, a connection from the circuit terminal of the box resistance to the common terminal of the first switch of the series, conductors between said series of switches connected from one of the selective terminals of one switch to the common terminal of the succeeding switch in said series, a connection from the corresponding selective terminal of the last switch in said series to the circuit terminal of the box starting magnet, and a connection between the remaining selective terminals of said switches to the connection between the box resistance and starting magnet.

5. A signal box having a starting magnet and a resistance, a connection between one terminal of said magnet and one terminal of said resistance, a signal circuit connected to the remaining terminal of said magnet and to the remaining terminal of said resistance, a series of switches each having two selective terminals and one commonterminal, conductors between said series of switches connected from one of the selective terminals of one switch to the common terminal of the succeeding switch in said series, a connection from the corresponding selective terminal of the last switch in said series to the circuit terminal of the box starting magnet a connection from the common terminal 0% the switch at the commencement of the series to the circuit terminal of the box resistance, an annunciator having a plurality of electromagnets and indicating devices controlled thereby, said magnets being connected between the switches and the connection between the resistance and the starting magnet so that the current path from the remaining selective terminal of each switch will be through one of said magnets.

6. In a signaling system, a signaling circuit, a current source and a signal translating device therein, a signal box having a resistance and a starting magnet serially included in said circuit, an annunciator having indicating devices and electromagnets for said indicating devices, a connection between one of the terminals of each of said indicating device magnets and a point in the signaling circuit between the signal box resistance and starting magnet, a plurality of auxiliary stations, conductors between the annunciator and said auxiliary stations, each conductor connected from 'an auxiliarygsta tion to a remaining terminal of an indicating device magnet, a loop-circuit including said auxiliary stations and connected with the signal circuit at each side of said si al box, and switch mechanism at each auxiliary station for interrupting said loop-circuit and connecting the conductor extending from such auxiliary station to the annunciator through the ortion of the loop-circuit connected to a point in the signal circuit between the signal box resistance and the current source.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name, this 30 day of July, A. D. 1914.

CLIFFORD G. FURMAN.

,Witnesses:

ARCHIE B. JONES, D. WINTHROP FOSTER. 

